Somebody Up There Loves You
by Facts vs. Romance
Summary: Why is it that you always remind me of Rocky Graziano?" Derek stared at Casey like she was speaking another language. "Who the hell are you talking about now? Sylvester Stalone Rocky?" Casey sighed while Derek rubbed his head. THIS was who she loved.


The Beginning.

Casey McDonald sighed as she looked at his mop of brown hair. Why did he spend so much time on it in the morning if he was going to just sit around and look like _that_. Earlier that morning they had had a huge fight just over the simple act of struggling to reach the bathroom first. Because she was still feeling sore over that episode, she purposely wanted to be annoying. She didn't know why she always did it, but most of the time, she didn't need a real reason, she just felt like nit-picking him. While he was sitting there looking casual and relaxed, she was internally bristling with anger at his ability to always look composed and to be honest, he always managed to look like a king. A fact that he knew and lorded over her simply because he only saw her as a disturbance and on his charming days, even called her his "peasant."

Since moving in 2 years ago, Casey had been bothered by him many times. There were the screaming matches after he had pranked her, the embarrassment she had to suffer while wearing his clothes simply because he had felt like taking hers that day and the snide comments in between walking to class in school hallways. Their relationship consisted of constant sniping throughout the day, sleep, then wake up, repeat everything all over again. It was frustrating after two years of living together that they still hadn't managed to become anything even resembling friends. She didn't know why either, it wasn't for lack of trying. In two short years, she had managed to weasel her way into all of his friend's lives. Sam called her for advice now, played Babe Raider with her (though she still protested the games' graphics as an "insult and exploitation of the female form") and had invited her to parties with Emily. After initially finding herself confused by Ralph's logic, she had even managed to become his friend as well, though she did suspect that it had something to do with Ralph having a crush on her best friend Emily. All of these people close to Derek (including Kendra) now counted her amongst their friends, all except Derek.

The few times Casey did tag along with him and his friends, Derek was never short on insults on her appearance, choice of movies and what he called "her keener ability to fun-suck" any Friday night activity. While she usually replied with a smart remark to his rudeness, she couldn't ignore the peculiar way her heart clenched when he aimed these remarks at her. Nor could she ignore the way she felt when he did occasionally laugh _with_ her or show her a tiny act of kindness. She didn't like to think about how those rare (extremely rare) moments made her feel because it terrified her and usually made her forget all of the times he was mean to her, until he made a rude remark ten minutes later. Everyone else around her would usually give her a pitying look and try to help her ignore it. Lately, even Sam had been telling Derek to lay off to which Derek would shrug and try to act like there was no tension in the air.

While it was closing in on their last year of living under the same roof and soon they would be leaving for college, Casey was more determined than ever to win Derek over in some way or another. She wasn't quite willing to admit exactly why she cared so much to Emily much less herself. She wasn't ready to acknowledge the fact that she thought about him way too much for someone who supposedly hated him and his egotistical ways and she certainly didn't pay attention to the fact that they both watched each other entirely too much when the other wasn't paying attention. Casey was a smart girl but no one had ever accused her of being observant when it came to running her own life. Maybe one of these days she would stop feeling that clutching around her stomach and heart. Maybe one of these days she would make up her mind and decide to do something about it.

This was a day that Derek Venturi would have to watch his step.


End file.
